Does anyone know why if you have track over ground that is at 0 for height and you then use the smooth spline tool it lowers the groung to -0.19 or -0.2? I had it do this while I was checking track going through mountains where my track height is 0. Sometimes when I use smooth spline instead of it taken the ground up or down to meet the track it just moves the track and the ground down into a hole. Is there a right or wrong way to use this tool?Also I noticed that some of the track spline points in surveyor show up yellow and others are white. Is there a reason for this?
smooth spline tool
- Thread starter rjw1975
- Start date
Spine points that are yellow have height assigned to them and will not move when you move surrounding terrain. Spline points that are white have no height assigned and will move if the terrain under them is changed.
The drop of 0.2 meters under track when you use the smoothing tool is in my view a bug in trainz that has never been fixed, and is just something you have to get used to. You can adjust all...or at least a few...of your spline heights to compensate for it, although it is a nuisance. I suspect it was probably done originally, like the original "floating roads", to prevent flicker that can occur when two textured planes are close together.
The drop of 0.2 meters under track when you use the smoothing tool is in my view a bug in trainz that has never been fixed, and is just something you have to get used to. You can adjust all...or at least a few...of your spline heights to compensate for it, although it is a nuisance. I suspect it was probably done originally, like the original "floating roads", to prevent flicker that can occur when two textured planes are close together.
bassist118
Suffering for his art.
This is what I do, I raise all spline points by 0.20 from streightend track to streightend track then smooth spline then lower dosn't really take long, if you want to raise to the trail head then rais by 0.34 if you raise to 0.35 you get that flashyness going on where trainz isn't sure what to display.
Andy
...to the contrary...
White spline points are intended to follow the terrain contour.
Yellow spline points have fixed height...once you hit the H-key, the selected white spine point + one after will fix....there is a purpose for each!
In surveyor, there is an option for "fixed track vertex height," I don't know what it does but it sounds like each spline point created would be yellow(fixed)...default is white.
There is also an option to turn off spline point(the broken circle) rotation...that saves having to load bu-coo rotating circles, saving frame rates in Surveyor.
Back when we all had 512MB computer RAM, floating spline points were thought to save frame rates in Driver Mode. That's why a lot of older routes have splines & track that are still floating.
If tree-shrub splines on uneven terrain had fixed spline points, a lot of brush would always be underground, but on flat terrain, I would fix the spline height.
I like the idea of track adjusted to 20CM below normal, as that would hide some of the roadbed where appropriate, as long as the yellow circle remains(fixed)...otherwise, if you hit a smooth tool to a spline, you better have your left hand on Ctrl+Z!
White spline points are intended to follow the terrain contour.Yellow spline points have fixed height...once you hit the H-key, the selected white spine point + one after will fix....there is a purpose for each!
In surveyor, there is an option for "fixed track vertex height," I don't know what it does but it sounds like each spline point created would be yellow(fixed)...default is white.
There is also an option to turn off spline point(the broken circle) rotation...that saves having to load bu-coo rotating circles, saving frame rates in Surveyor.
Back when we all had 512MB computer RAM, floating spline points were thought to save frame rates in Driver Mode. That's why a lot of older routes have splines & track that are still floating.
If tree-shrub splines on uneven terrain had fixed spline points, a lot of brush would always be underground, but on flat terrain, I would fix the spline height.
I like the idea of track adjusted to 20CM below normal, as that would hide some of the roadbed where appropriate, as long as the yellow circle remains(fixed)...otherwise, if you hit a smooth tool to a spline, you better have your left hand on Ctrl+Z!
OK, so I did some experimenting after reading the last post in this thread and the fixed track vertex height option in the surveyor menu does exactly what you thought. I used the smooth spline tool on track with both yellow and white spline points and found out that on the yellow fixed ones once you use it once you could click on it repeatedly and it doesn`t do anymore but if you do the same on white unfixed ones clicking on different spot along the track between the points each time you click around the same spot it drops the ground a bit and takes the track with it. So it seems to me that unless your track is on level ground it would be better to have the track spline points fixed if you`re going to use the smooth spline tool.
...yellow splines...
I'd go ahead and fix all the spline points as far as track is concerned.
I have wondered if you leave them unfixed(white), then manipulated the ground under either side of the track, would the effect be like "bad" track? Like the rock & roll effect we so miss?
The Fix Track Height tool(h) also smooths track geometry, raising or lowering a spline to prevent too much grade. Clicking just past each spline point raises or lowers the track relative to the terrain in such a way that the Smooth Tool(s) will fit the baseboard to the level of the track consistently.
Unfixed track splines can allow the dreaded "floating" effect, with no possible way to correct that consistently.
As that I deal only with Digital Elevation Mapping(DEM), generated from USGS data, I never get to deal "on the level" so to speak....
I'd go ahead and fix all the spline points as far as track is concerned.I have wondered if you leave them unfixed(white), then manipulated the ground under either side of the track, would the effect be like "bad" track? Like the rock & roll effect we so miss?
The Fix Track Height tool(h) also smooths track geometry, raising or lowering a spline to prevent too much grade. Clicking just past each spline point raises or lowers the track relative to the terrain in such a way that the Smooth Tool(s) will fit the baseboard to the level of the track consistently.
Unfixed track splines can allow the dreaded "floating" effect, with no possible way to correct that consistently.
As that I deal only with Digital Elevation Mapping(DEM), generated from USGS data, I never get to deal "on the level" so to speak....
Hi All: I always use the smooth track tool on every section of track..Otherwise its rock and roll time..This is particularly important especially in the Mountain terrains..You can always lower each spline point to your desire..I think most track when the smooth tool is used is approximately .025..I like to sink some of my ties below the turf it gives too me a more rustic effect..I'll lower it .015 depend of course to topology..
I may have found a quick solution to this problem, I recently found the tracks with embankment and when you use the smooth spline tool with it it still drops the ground 0.2 but because of the embankment there is no gap. I might be wrong but from what I`ve seen around where I live it seems more realistic with the 0.2 embankment. I`m debating changing the track in my route to it. For trs2006 ,since it doesn`t have the replace asset tool, can I do the change by changing the kuid# in the config file for my route?
Or what if I use an embankment spline under my track that way I can just use it where I want it?
Or what if I use an embankment spline under my track that way I can just use it where I want it?
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...with the Topography, Plateau Tool...
The real unrevealed companion to the Smooth Spline Tool is found using the Topology(F1), Get Height(G), Plateau Tool(P).
By using G, on the most relative elevation you need, you can alter the local terrain as much as needed, then use the Smooth Spline Tool.
All track carries it's own "embankment" as the ballast mesh under the track & ties.
If you want to have track only, it's labeled as no-ballast.
I understand that a lot of spur, branch & other neglected track may not present a ballast sub-base.
The basic idea is to use the relative track, textures & scenery(assets) for simulation to the area modeled.
But the real deal is to do this quickly! Learn to get the method that best builds your desired environment, then remember that the focus is on the horizon!
Just think of how many other operators will focus on the area you are modding, unless they are familiar with that stretch of roadbed, it won't be noticed.
Having so many tools to use, we tend to put too much focus on a ten metre square...
The real unrevealed companion to the Smooth Spline Tool is found using the Topology(F1), Get Height(G), Plateau Tool(P).By using G, on the most relative elevation you need, you can alter the local terrain as much as needed, then use the Smooth Spline Tool.
All track carries it's own "embankment" as the ballast mesh under the track & ties.
If you want to have track only, it's labeled as no-ballast.
I understand that a lot of spur, branch & other neglected track may not present a ballast sub-base.
The basic idea is to use the relative track, textures & scenery(assets) for simulation to the area modeled.
But the real deal is to do this quickly! Learn to get the method that best builds your desired environment, then remember that the focus is on the horizon!
Just think of how many other operators will focus on the area you are modding, unless they are familiar with that stretch of roadbed, it won't be noticed.
Having so many tools to use, we tend to put too much focus on a ten metre square...